Display stand



Oct. 6, 1970 I c. D. FINFROCK 3,532,310

' DISPLAY STAND Filed March '7, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I l I so i I 491 l i II I 'l 53 I I F. I l 47 H I32 Inn" "II" l- 58 29 6 48 Ill 7 I H 26 g I I vs2 I so 24 28 69 g. 66/65 INVENTOR CARL DOUGLAS FINFROCK A TTORNE Y8 Oct. 6, 1970 c. D. FINFROCK 3,532,310

DISPLAY STAND v Filed March 7, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 5 Oct. 6, 1970 c. D. FINFROCK 3,532,310

DISPLAY STAND Filed March 7, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 I00 10? I I United States Patent 3,532,310 DISPLAY STAND Carl Douglas Finfrock, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Law Paper Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 711,334

Int. Cl. A471: /11 US. Cl. 24846 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display supporting base for use in a point of purchase advertising display wherein various articles are supported for display. In one form, a pole is adapted to support an avertising sign of one type or another. The display supporting base can be mounted on a horizontal or vertical surface as desired and is constructed to withstand the normal torques applied to the pole. The base is rigid and does not require the presence of the pole to remain in its erected position, and thus the pole can be removed and replaced without interfering with the structural rigidity of the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The patent of Hessdoerfer et al. No. 3,178,138, issued Apr. 13, 1965, is pertinent to this invention in that it shows various types of pole support devices including paperboard devices adapted to be mounted on a vertical or horizontal surface. However, these prior art devices cannot be used to display a wide range of articles as they require presence of the pole to maintain them in an erected position which limits the ability of the user to change the display by replacing the pole. Such devices do not provide the over-all rigidity to the pole especially when mounted on a flat horizontal surface, nor do they provide a display or advertising panel on the front thereof to provide additional advertising space which also improves the over-all appearance of the base.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention thus relatees to an article support base manufactured of lightweight flexible board adapted to be folded into the precise configuration and secured to either a vertical or horizontal fiat surface by the use of pressure sensitive tape. The base provides a front display or advertising panel and three separate support panels for the pole so that the pole support base withstands a substantial amount of torque on the article. The corners of the various panels lock rigidly in place and thus the pole support is rigid even without the pole.

The base can be modified to provide for the support of one or more articles such as a flagpole which extends upwardly at an angle, a can of food or beverage, or series of long thin articles. The user can mount various advertising displays throughout the store by merely removing the covering of the adhesive tape and securing the base in place, for example, on the top and side of a display counter. The base is relatively inexpensive so that when the device is no longer needed, it may be discarded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the article support base in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the support base for a pole;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which the display sign is mounted on the upper end of the pole;

FG. 4 is a plan view of the blank for the support base;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the other side of the blank;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating the locking tabs in the corners of the back panel;

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FIG. 8 is a perspective view partially in section showing the lock tab for the lower portion of the pole;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a view siimlar to FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the blank for the FIG. 11 embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 15; and

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the blank utilized in the FIGS. 1516 embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The point of purchase of display device or gondola 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a tent-type display sign 11 held in place by a vertical extending pole 12 mounted on the counter top 13 by the support base 15. The pole 12 may be constructed of spiraled paperboard, solid wood, or other materials, and the sign 11 may also take other forms without departing from the invention. The display sign 11 is held on the top of the pole by the wire member 16 (FIG. 3) having the central U-shaped portion 17 which extends downwardly into the upper portion 18 of the hollow pole, and the horizontally extending arms 19 engage the center fold portion 21 of the tent-type display sign. However, it is within the scope of the invention to use other expedients to support the sign on the top of the pole 12.

The base 15 is formed from the blank 22 of corrugated cardboard, chip board or other material and is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 as including a front display panel 24 having the central lock tab 25 extending from the lefthand edge 26 thereof. This panel is separated from the adjacent integral top panel 28 by the fold line 29, and this top panel is separated from the integral outer back panel 31 by a similar fold line 32. The length of this back panel between the fold lines 32 and 35 defines the height of the support base 15. A circular opening 33 is cut in the top panel 28 for receiving the pole 12, and it is important that this opening be spaced a preset distance from the fold line 32 so that when the pole extends into the support base 15, it is held firmly in place.

The integral bottom panel 36 is secured to the back panel 31 by the fold line 35, and on each of the bottom and back panels 31 and 36, a pair of pressure sensitive adhesive strips 37 and 38 are provided in spaced parallel relation extending entirely across the width of the blank 22 between its side edges 40 and 41 (FIG. 5). The strips 37 and 38 are adhesive on both sides thereof so that they readily adhere to the back and bottom panels 31 and 36, and the covering papers 43 are utilized to protect the outer adhesive surface until the support base 15 is ready to be secured in position.

A sloping panel 45 is connected to the bottom panel 35 by the fold line 46 and this panel has a rectangular tab receiving opening 47 adjacent the fold line 46 and an elongated pole receiving opening 48 adjacent the opposite fold line 49 which integrally connects the sloping panel 45 with the inner back panel 51. This inner back panel includes a pole support portion 52 cut from the center thereof and secured thereto by the fold lines 53 at the integral connections between this tab and the back panel 51. A keyhole-shaped section 55 remains in the back panel 51 to provide a circular opening 56 in the support portion 52 for receiving the pole 12. The section 55 aids in guiding the pole into the opening 56, as Will be further described.

To set up the base 15, it is merely necessary to fold the inner panel 51 and the sloping panel 45 upwardly as viewed in FIG. 4 about the fold lines 49 and 46, respectively, until the right-hand edge 58 of the inner panel engages the fold line 35 between the back and bottom panels 31 and 36, and the fold line 49 between the inner back and sloping panels 51 and 45 is aligned with the fold line 32 between the top and back panels 28 and 31. The fold line 39 between the display and top panels 24 and 28 is then creased and the lock tab 25 inserted into the opening 47 in the sloping panel 45.

During the assembly of the support base 15, the tabs 60 on the right-hand edge 58 (FIG. 4) of the inner back panel 51 fit into suitable openings 62 (FIG. 6) in the opposite ends of the fold line 35 between the back and bottom panels 31 and 36. These openings are created by the cuts 63 (FIG. 4) made adjacent the opposite ends of the fold line 35 so that when the back and bottom panels are folded at right angles, the openings 62 are created adjacent the back panel 51 for receiving the tabs 60, as shown in FIG. 6. The cutout portion 64 which is created by the cuts 63 also extends downwardly and is aligned with the tabs 60 on the inner back panel 51.

Similarly, the tabs 65 are created on the left-hand edge of the inner back panel 51 at the opposite ends of the fold line 49 by the cuts 66 which extend into the sloping panel 45 and to define the tabs 65 which extend upwardly when the adjacent panels 45 and 51 are folded. These tabs are received in the openings 68 (FIG. 7) provided at the ends of fold line 32 between the top and back panels 28 and 31 by the cuts 69 which extend into the top panel 28 and to create the openings 68 when the top and back panels are folded into a right angle position, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the inner back panel 51 is held firmly in position adjacent the outer back panel 31, and consequently the entire support base 15 is locked in the erected position providing for rigidity even when the pole is not inserted. The base 15 is thus assembled and ready for installation with the unused pressure sensi trve tape strips 37 and 38 on both the bottom and back panels 31 and 36.

Before the pole 12 is inserted into the base 15, the support portion 52 is moved downwardly from the plane of the inner back panel 51 and the pole 12 inserted through the aligned openings 33, 48, and 56 in the top and sloping panels 28 and 45 and the support portion 52, respectively, until the lower end of the pole 12 engages the top surface 71 of the bottom walls 36 (FIG. 8). The keyhole-shaped section 55 of the inner back panel 51 facilitates entry of the pole 12 into the opening 56 in the portion 52 whereas the absence of this feature would provide a square edge which would frequently catch the pole as it is inserted into place. Once the pole is in place, the sign 11 is placed on the top thereof as shown in FIG. 1.

Another embodiment of the base a is shown in FIG. 9 wherein the support tab 52a is cut from the outer back panel 31a and extends through an elongated slot 75 in the inner back panel 51a. In this manner, the flap or the tab 52a is held in position even before the pole 12 is inserted through the opening 56a therein. This embodiment is otherwise identical to that described above in connection with FIGS. l-8 except that the corner locking structure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are not employed.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 10 wherein the base b is substantially identical to those described above except that the openings 33b and 48b in the panels 28b and 45b are positioned farther away from the inner back panel 51b so that the pole 12b will pass at an angle into the base 15b to be utilized in a flagpole arrangement. While the use of a flap 52 extending from either of the back panels has not been disclosed, it can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, it being necessary to align the opening 31 therein with the openings 33b and 48b.

While the invention has been shown and described as having a front panel which is parallel to the back panels, and a top panel which is parallel to the bottom panels, it is within the scope of the invention to change the dimension of the various panels so that these panels are no longer parallel. Moreover, the display panel can connect to the sloping panel at the fold line 46, and more than one locking tab 25 can be utilized to secure this edge in place. The bases can be constructed so that they are much wider or higher depending upon the desired use, and it is possible that more than one pole 12 might be utilized with a single base.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. l1-14 wherein the base 70 is adapted to hold a cylindrical object 71, such as a can of food or beverage. Accordingly, a keyhole-shaped slot 72 is provided in the front and top panels 73 and 74 with the circular portion 7 5 of the slot located in the top panel 74 and the rectangular portion 76 thereof in the front panel. Another opening 77 is provided in the sloping panel 78 having a straight edge 81 across the right-hand portion thereof and a curved edge 82 in the shape of a partial ellipse. In addition, the lock tab 84 on the front panel 73 has a pair of side ears 86 thereon which pivot about the fold lines 87 so that after the folded lock tab 84 passes through the slot 88 in the sloping panel 68 the ears 86 extend outwardly and prevent easy withdrawal of the tab from the cooperating slot 88. The blank is otherwise identical to that of FIG. 1 and thus there is no change in the back, bottom, and inner back panels 31, 36, and 51 except that there is no support portion 52 in the back panel 51.

When the base 70 is assembled, as shown in FIG. 11, the openings 72 and 77 are aligned so that the cylindrical object 71 can be lowered vertically through the circular portion 75 into the opening 77 in the sloping panel 78. The edges 81 and 89 of these openings are in the same horizontal plane so that they engage the bottom 90 and support the weight of the object 70. The front of the object 71 extends through the rectangular portion 76 of the opening 72 so that the entire front is visible.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 15-16 wherein the base 90 includes a series of panels adapted to position a tubular pole 12 or its equivalent. The blank 93 includes an inner back panel 94 on the right-hand end thereof with a bottom panel 95 secured thereto at the fold line 96. A front panel 97 of the same size and configuration as the back panel is integrally connected to the other edge of the bottom panel by the fold line 98 and a top panel 100 is integrally connected at the fold line 101 to the opposite edge of the front panel 97. The outer back panel 103 is connected integrally at the fold line 104 to the top panel and the pole steadying tab 105 is provided on the right-hand edge of the blank at the fold line 107.

The inner back panel 94 has a lock tab 108 on the left-hand edge 109 thereof for engaging a rectangular portion 111 of the key-shaped aperture 112 in the top panel 100, as will be further described. An elongated slot 115 is provided in the back panel 94 having a Width slightly greater than the Width of the tab 105 so that this tab can be inserted therethrough. The tab 105 has a length equal to or slightly less than the width of the top and bottom panels 95 and 100, and the circular portion 117 of the aperture 112. The circular opening 118 in the tab 105 receives the pole to hold it in the upright position.

To assemble the support 90, it is merely necessary to fold the back, bottom, front, and top walls 94, 95, 97 and 100 into a box configuration, as shown in FIG. 16. The outer back panel 103 is folded downwardly along the outside of the inner back panel 94 with the lock tab 108 being received in the rectangular portion 111 of the aperture 112. The tab 105 is then inserted through the slot 115 and positioned horizontally, and the pole 12 inserted into the display support through the circular portion 117 of the aperture 112 and the circular opening 118 in the tab 105 to hold the display support 90 in its erected position. The support 90 is otherwise similar to those described above.

The invention has accordingly provided a lightweight article supporting base adapted to position one or more elongated articles in an upright or sloped position. The base is formed from an elongated blank of paperboard or the like and is easily assembled and installed on a fiat horizontal or vertical surface. A display panel is provided on the front thereof, the corners of the various panels lock rigidly together and thus the base remains in an erected position even when the pole is not in place.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A support base adapted to support an elongated object therein, comprising an elongated blank of sheet material including an upwardly extending display panel having a display surface thereon, a top panel integrally hinged to said display panel and extending rearwardly thereof, an outer back panel integrally hinged to said top panel and extending downwardly in a vertical plane, a bottom panel integrally hinged to said back panel and extending forwardly thereof in a horizontal direction, a sloping panel integrally hinged to the opposite end of said bottom panel and extending upwardly to the juncture between said top and back panels, an inner back panel extending downwardly from the opposite edge of said sloping panel, means defining openings in said top and sloping panels adapted to receive and support the object, and means for securing either said bottom or back walls to a fiat surface.

2. A support base as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner back panel is substantially coextensive with said outer back panel, lock means for holding said inner and outer back panels in contact, said lock means including slots at each edge of said outer back panel, and projections on the edge of said inner back panel which are received in said slots.

3. A support base as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are adapted to position a pole vertically.

4. A support base as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are adapted to position a pole upwardly and forwardly of the base.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means defining said openings defines a keyhole-shaped opening with the circular portion thereof in said top panel and the rectangular portion thereof in said display panel, said openings cooperating to support a cylindrical object with the front portion thereof visible from the front of the base.

6. A support base as defined in claim 1 wherein a support portion is cut from one of said back panels and extends forwardly of said back panel, and means defining an opening in said portion adapted to receive the elongated object and provide additional stability thereto.

7. A support base as defined in claim 6 wherein said portion is cut from said outer back panel, and means defining a slot in said inner back panel through which said portion will extend to a position for receiving the object.

8. A support base adapted to support an elongated object therein, comprising an elongated blank of sheet material including an upwardly extending front panel having a display surface thereon and an integrally connected top, an outer back panel integrally hinged to said top and extending downwardly in a vertical plane, a bottom panel integrally hinged to said back panel and extending forwardly thereof in a horizontal direction, a sloping panel integrally hinged to the opposite end of said bottom panel and extending upwardly to the juncture between said top and said back panel, an inner back panel extending downwardly from the opposite edge of said sloping panel, means defining openings at least in said top and said sloping panel adapted to receive and support the object, means for securing the lower end of said front panel to said sloping panel, and means for securing either said bottom panel or said outer back panel to a flat surface.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said openings extend through said top, sloping, and front panels to support and display a cylindrical object with a substantial portion of the front of the object being exposed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,651,536 12/1927 Monarque. 1,692,748 11/1928 Locke 248-174 2,053,454 9/1936 Whiteside 248-48 3,169,740 2/1965 Beckett 248-46 3,178,138 4/1965 Hessdoerfer et al. 24840 3,184,046 5/1965 Berg 20645.14

ROY D. FRAZI-ER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

